The Belial Children

by R. D. Brady

  CHAPTER 58

  Laney rested her head on her hand and stared out the window at the clouds. Jake had just left to go to the cockpit and speak with Clark.

  The SIA was supposed to meet them on the ground and offer some backup, although Jake wasn’t sure if they’d get there in time. And Laney and he knew there was no chance they were going to wait. If the kids were at the reverend’s church, there wasn’t a minute to lose.

  Laney tried to keep her mind focused on concrete details and not on the missing kids. Images of Max, though, kept trying to crowd into her mind. And each time they did, she shoved them away.

  She mentally pulled up the layout of the church’s property. It wasn’t large—only about two acres. But it was surrounded by undeveloped land, isolated. There were three buildings: the church itself, and two other buildings that had been built by Nathaniel. I wonder if—

  Her phone beeped and she looked at it, realizing she’d missed a text from Jen. They had landed in Chicago. She was about to call her back when her iPad beeped. She shook her head, remembering a time when going on a plane meant not communicating with anyone at all, and pulled the iPad into her lap. She clicked on the Skype icon and her uncle’s face popped up on the screen. “Laney?”

  “Hey, Uncle Patrick. How’s Kati?”

  “She’s,” he hesitated, “okay.”

  Dread washed over her. “What happened?”

  “She woke up and asked for Max. When she remembered what happened, she had to be sedated.”

  Laney leaned back heavily against the chair and closed her eyes. She wanted so much to be with Kati right now. Logically, she knew she was helping Kati more in the long run by being here, but it didn’t make being away any easier. Get him back for her. That’s how you can help her.

  She opened her eyes, noticing the background behind her uncle. He was sitting on a grey couch, and behind him was a table with four chairs. “Where are you now?”

  “The doctor’s lounge down the hall from Kati. They let me borrow it.”

  “Okay. I’m guessing you found something?”

  He nodded. “I finished watching Grayston’s sermons. He’s very much a fire-and-brimstone type of preacher. I don’t think the New Testament holds much appeal for him. Nathaniel’s version of religion is a hodgepodge of different scriptures strung together to justify his worldview.”

  Laney nodded. That had been her guess as well. “So what is his worldview?”

  Patrick sighed. “That we are on the precipice of a new world order, something similar to the Rapture, where only the holy survive. The new age arrives with certain signs and certain actions.”

  “What signs?” Laney asked, but was distracted when Jake walked down the aisle and took the seat next to her. He squeezed Laney’s hand and nodded at the screen. “Hey, Patrick.”

  Patrick nodded back. “Jake.”

  “I just spoke with the pilot. We’ll be landing in about forty-five minutes. It’ll be another fifteen minutes to the church from there.” He glanced between Laney and Patrick. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing more than before. We were just talking about Nathaniel’s sermons.”

  “And actually, there may be more wrong than before,” Patrick said.

  “What do you mean?” Laney asked, her dread growing.

  “I’ve been listening to the webcasts. For the last year, they’ve taken on a theme.” Patrick went quiet, his face troubled.

  “Okay…” Jake drew out the word. “Care to share what that theme is?”

  “Sorry,” Patrick said with a shake of his head. “He’s been talking about the state of the world.”

  “And I’m guessing he’s not saying the state is good?” Laney asked.

  Patrick nodded. “He speaks of different events in the world, like the red tide breakouts across the globe. Of course, instead of explaining about the algae blooms causing the coloration, he speaks about the seas running red with blood.” He hit some buttons on his phone. “I just sent you a clip of one of his sermons. Take a look at it.”

  “Hold on.” Laney pulled out her phone. A second later Patrick’s email arrived. Laney brought up the image. Frozen on the screen was Nathaniel.

  “I queued it to the part I thought you should see,” Patrick said. “Just hit play.”

  Jake reached over and ran the video. On screen, Nathaniel jumped to life. “We are in a dangerous time—a time of action. Apathy is not an option.”

  Off screen, there were murmurs of agreement.

  “What will it take to wake people up?” Nathaniel thundered. “They are blind to the truth. The rivers run red with blood. Just a few weeks ago, Sydney, Australia’s waters were bathed in blood.”

  The camera cut away to the congregation, shaking their heads in horror.

  “Each week another meat recall is announced. Storms are becoming more severe. Manhattan has been flooded. Hurricanes, tornadoes of increasing intensity are scattered across this great nation. And the darkness of spirit… it pervades every corner of our society. It snuffs out the light of the Word.”

  The camera panned back to the crowd. People were on their feet now, shouting their agreement.

  Nathaniel moved around the podium to stand in front of it. The camera operator zoomed in on his face. Nathaniel’s eyes were filled with fire. “Now is the time of decision. What will you do? Will you do what needs to be done? Will you?”

  The audience was ecstatic in their support.

  Nathaniel smiled—a smile that made Laney’s skin crawl. “Good. Because the time is here.”

  The clip stopped with a close-up of Nathaniel. Laney stared at the image frozen on her screen. He looked smug, self-righteous. Happy.

  Her stomach rolled. “Okay, all horrible. But so what? Isn’t horrible his thing?”

  “Yes, but it’s the passages he’s been using to bring home his points. They all come from Exodus.”

  “Not much Sunday school for me, I’m afraid,” Jake said wryly. “We’re still talking about the escape from Egypt, right?”

  “A little more than that.”

  Laney felt the shock root her in place. She glanced up at Patrick, horror crawling across her skin. “He’s aligning modern misfortunes with the ten plagues.”

  Patrick nodded. “Yes.”

  The ten plagues. In the Bible, the land of Egypt was besieged by ten horrific plagues: water turning into blood, infestations of frogs, flies, locusts, and gnats, darkness, diseased livestock, thunder and hail, and finally the death of all the first-born. Off the top of her head, Laney could think at least seven events in the last few years that fit those plagues. And she was pretty sure that, with a little research, she could make a case for the other three.

  “Grayston’s ministry—it’s not just a church,” Laney said. “It’s a doomsday cult.”

  Patrick nodded. “Yes. I think that’s right.”

  Laney looked back at Patrick. “When was that posted?”

  “One week ago.”

  Jake looked between them. “Doomsdays cults tend to count down to a big event, right?”

  Laney nodded, staring at the screen again. “If those kids are alive, I think they’re running out of time.”

  CHAPTER 59

  Chicago, Illinois

  Henry and Jen drove past the Northgram home. The house sat on about two acres with a six-foot wrought iron fence surrounding it. Like every other house on the street, the yard was immaculately maintained.

  Henry had had an operative watching the house since their first meeting with Northgram. The operative reported that Northgram’s wife and two children had left ten minutes ago for a movie with some friends and that he hadn’t seen any other signs of surveillance. But remembering the Fallen across from Northgram’s office building, Henry wasn’t ruling that out.

  They pulled into the driveway of the people who lived two houses down from Northgram. They were out of town for an extended holiday, so Henry and his group were borrowing their driveway. In neighborhoods like this
, people simply didn’t park on the street.

  Henry looked around. “You sense anything?”

  Jen shook her head. “Nope.”

  “Me either. All right, let’s go—but keep an eye out.”

  “I always do.” Jen opened her door and Henry stepped out as well.

  Henry nodded to the men in the SUV as they crossed the drive. One got out, and Henry handed him his keys. The man hopped into the driver’s seat of the SUV Henry had driven.

  Jen started to walk down the drive. “Let’s go.”

  Henry jogged a little to catch up to her. He took her hand and she glanced up in surprise. He grinned. “Just a young couple out for a walk.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You really think that’s necessary?”

  Henry smiled back. “No.”

  Jen laughed.

  They made their way leisurely down the street. Each lot was at least one and a half acres, and every home looked like it was ready for its own magazine spread. But no one was out. No cars in the drive. No kids’ toys on the lawns.

  “Kind of has a Stepford quality to it, doesn’t it?” Jen asked with a shiver.

  Henry nodded. “Yeah.”

  The Northgram home was no different than the others on the block in that regard. Two turrets dominated the three-story rock face home, giving it the appearance of a small castle. But it was one of only two on the street that had a full fence encircling the yard.

  As they approached, Henry asked, “See anybody?”

  “Just a lawn crew down the street.”

  Henry nodded. He hadn’t seen anyone either. He spoke into his cell. “Now.”

  A second later a reply came back. “You’re good. All their cameras and power are down. Be careful.”

  “We will,” Henry said softly before disconnecting the call. He glanced over at Jen. “Shall we?”

  She smiled—a smile that looked a little predatory. “Let’s.”

  Northgram had four guards at his estate at all times: two outside, two inside. Henry held his tranquilizer gun in front of him. “I’ll go round the back. You get the guy at the front gate.”

  Jen nodded with a grimace, holding up her own tranquilizer gun. “I still can’t believe you talked me into this.”

  “Well, we’re the ones breaking in today.”

  “Yes. But tomorrow they’ll undeniably be right back to being the bad guys.”

  Henry sighed. “I know. But the good guys have to play by rules the bad guys don’t.”

  “Fine.” Jen drew out the word. “I’ll give you ten seconds to get in place before I take out the guy in the front. Meet you in the living room?”

  Henry smiled. He loved how Jen just assumed this wouldn’t be a problem. Who was he kidding? He loved a lot of things about Jen. “See you there.”

  He sprinted for the back of the estate. They knew one guy patrolled the front and one stayed at the back. The other two seemed to roam the entire house, crossing paths, but Henry wasn’t worried. From what they could tell, they were only human. Apparently Northgram didn’t trust any Fallen.

  Through the fence, he caught sight of the guard coming around the side of the pool. Henry put on a burst of speed and jumped the fence, landing ten feet behind the guard. The guard turned quickly, but Henry had already fired. The tranquilizer dart caught the man in the thigh.

  Henry sprinted forward, grabbing the man’s hand before he could raise his weapon. “Good night.” The man’s eyelids drooped, then closed. Henry gently lowered him to the ground.

  Henry’s head whipped up as he heard the sound of a crash from inside.

  Jen.

  He vaulted over the pool. In two steps, he was at one of the sets of French doors that lined the back of the house. He ripped one of the doors off it hinges, tossed it aside, and rushed in.

  Jen stood at the other end of the room. Northgram was on the floor at her feet, a broken vase next to him.

  She raised an eyebrow. “You all right?”

  “Um—yeah,” Henry said. “I heard a crash.”

  Jen shrugged. “Phil here was trying to make for his panic room. I didn’t want to have to break down that door, so I threw a vase at him.”

  Henry chuckled. “A vase?”

  She shrugged again. “It was handy.”

  “The other three guards?” Henry asked.

  “Sleeping it off.” Her eyes twinkled. “Did you get your one little guard?”

  “Yes, thank you very much. And he was not little.”

  Jen grinned. “Sure—whatever makes you feel better.”

  Northgram groaned from the floor. “If you two are finished.”

  Jen crouched down next to him. “Careful, Phil. You’re probably going to have a nasty headache. Let me help.” She pulled him up by the back of the shirt and then half dragged, half carried him to the sunken living room.

  Henry tried not to smile as Jen unceremoniously dumped Northgram into a chair and made a big show of wiping her hands on her jeans. Then she glanced at Henry. “The floor is yours.”

  Henry nodded and came around to stand in front of Northgram. “Phil, you have not been entirely forthcoming.”

  Northgram shrank back in the chair. “Yes I have. I’ve told you everything I know. I sent you that list of members.”

  Henry sat on the ottoman directly in front of Northgram, allowing the man to look him right in the eyes. “You never told us about your son.”

  Northgram paused, his eyebrows knit together. “Michael? He’s only ten. He has nothing to do with this.”

  “Not Michael. Your other son,” Jen said.

  Northgram stared between them for a moment, completely confused.

  “Nathaniel?” Jen prompted.

  Northgram blanched. “Oh.”

  “Yes, ‘oh,’” Henry said. “He’s the one behind the abductions of the children.”

  Northgram shook his head with a sigh and stretched his legs out. “Really? Well, I can’t say I’m too surprised. His mother was never really there, if you know what I mean.”

  Henry held back his anger. “Great. Well, now that you remember your own child, how about you tell us about him?”

  Northgram sighed. “I haven’t seen him in years.”

  “Then why don’t you tell us about the first wife you’ve kept hidden?” Jen suggested.

  Northgram looked up, his eyes narrowed. “Why?”

  Henry inched forward. “Because she asked nicely.”

  Northgram leaned farther back. “Okay, okay. But I don’t see what it has to do with anything.”

  “We’ll decide that,” Jen said. “Talk.”

  Northgram straightened his pants. “It was a mistake. Linda and I were both young. And she was fun and wild. And maybe a little off.”

  “A little off?” Jen asked.

  Northgram shrugged. “She heard voices sometimes. But she had other… virtues.”

  Jen made a sound of disgust.

  Henry waved his hand. “What else?”

  “I don’t know what you want. We were twenty when we got married. Linda got pregnant a year later. We were thrilled. And then everything fell apart.”

  “Why did everything fall apart?” Henry asked, his patience thinning.

  “There was a problem with the birth: a placental eruption. Linda nearly died, Nathaniel nearly died. And Linda came out of it a changed person.”

  “Changed how?” Jen asked, stepping forward.

  “Religious. Extremely religious. Although she didn’t align herself with any particular group. She read the Bible over and over. Found old esoteric texts and believed every word in them.” Northgram shook his head. “She became this crazy person.”

  “So how did she end up with Nathaniel, and why did you hide them?” Jen asked.

  “I wasn’t hiding them. I was distancing myself from them. Look, I loved Nathaniel. I had every intention of bringing him into the family business.”

  “You mean the Council?” Henry asked.

  Northgram hesitated befor
e nodding.

  “So what happened?” Jen asked, not even trying to hide her disgust. “Child rearing proved too much for you?”

  “No. I even began instructing Nathaniel on my business. We spent every weekend talking about history and the importance of our place in it.”

  Henry looked at Northgram, trying to figure the man out. He had spent time with his son, grooming him in the family business, and then let him go? “So how did he end up with Linda?”

  Northgram ran his hand through his thinning hair. “Linda and Nathaniel have always been close. And one day, he told her about the Council. About what we did, how we made our money. It convinced her that I was the devil. But she didn’t tell me right away. First she gathered documentation on Council activities. And then she gave me an ultimatum: I let her and Nathaniel go—providing them with whatever they need, but never seeing them—or she would reveal everything she knew.”

  Henry stared at him, his disgust growing. “So you let your son go off with an unstable woman to save yourself?”

  Northgram stared back at Henry, arrogance in his tone. “You don’t understand. I have responsibilities, duties. And Linda was smart. She made it clear that if anything happened to her, the documents would be released.”

  “Well, aren’t you just father of the year,” Jen muttered.

  Northgram glared over at her. “She was unstable, and apparently so is he. So I think I made the right choice.”

  “You made your son a monster by leaving him with her,” Jen growled.

  “He was already well on the way to being a monster. There was nothing I could do to change that.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. Your DNA damned him from the start,” Jen retorted.

  Northgram glared at her, his jaw clenched.

  “Did you give your son the list of children?” Jen demanded.

  “What?” Surprise flashed across Northgram’s face. “No, of course not.”

  “You’re sure?” Henry asked.

  “Yes. Look, I realize we’re not on the same side. But targeting children? No. That’s a line I won’t cross.”

  “And no one in your organization would either?” Jen asked.

  “No, of course—” Northgram paused.